StoryThis "History of the NHL" weebly page will focus on the storied history of the National Hockey League since 1917. This page will look at several aspects of the league, a page about each current team with a link to its website and a page with the 19 defunct/relocated teams. A page for kids with crossword puzzles and word finds will be on here as well.
The National Hockey League was created on November 26, 1917 in a hotel ballroom in Canada. The league was comprised of six teams that first season, all based in Canada. The league was led by President Frank Calder from 1917-1943. The 1920s brought expansion to the United States with the Boston Bruins beginning play with the 1924 season. By 1927 the league had ten members with six of the teams based in the United States. The league split into two, five team divisions. The 1930s was a challenging time for the NHL with the Great Depression, however the league thrived in New York. Conn Smythe managed to build Madison Square Gardens in 165 days and on budget, an astounding $1.5 million dollars. Nobody thought he'd be able to sellout the 13,233 seats but he did. It was discovered to some people's surprise that the NHL could survive the Great Depression. The 1940s was a time of change for the NHL. The league which had stood at 12 members in 1934 was struggling to continue play during World War II and with financing as well. By 1942 only six teams remained (Montreal Canadians, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Chicago Black Hawks, and the Detroit Red Wings), they were known as the "original six" would would remain the only six teams in the league until the great expansion of 1967-68. Two prominent things happened to the NHL during the 1950s. The first hockey game was broadcast on live TV, Hockey Night in Canada was born. Broadcasting hockey became a quick sell and Hockey Night in Canada quickly became the highest-rated show on Canadian television. Also in the 1950s the first black athlete played in the NHL. Willie O'Ree never thought of himself as the person who broke the color barrier. He just wanted to play hockey. His NHL career only lasted 45 games but he played 23 seasons in the minors and more than 13 years would pass before another black player made it to the NHL. The 1960s was known as the "great expansion." The league added six teams in 1967 (Philadelphia, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, and Oakland) to double the six of the league to 12. Each team played a 74 game season and by 1970 more than 6.4 million fans were coming to the games each season. The 1970s were known for goal scoring and rivalries. The "Broad Street Bullies" (Philadelphia) won the Stanley Cup in their inaugural season and were known as the toughest team in the league, not letting anybody push them around. Players began to score more goals, reaching the 50 goal mark in a season, which is still considered the goal of each player, each season, even though players have routinely gone about the 50 goal mark in recent seasons. The 1980s is known for the European invasion. Europeans in the NHL were nothing new, but it was rare. Defections began with the Stastny brothers in 1980 and by the end of the 1990s, Europeans were among the best players in the league. It was easier for players from Nordic countries to come over at first, but with the fall of the Berlin Wall and Communism a flood of players from Eastern Bloc countries came over to play in the league. The 1990s was full of growth and hardship for the league. Six new teams joined during the '90s. (San Jose, Tampa Bay, Ottawa, Florida, Atlanta, and Nashville) However in 1994 the league went dark. Commissioner Bettman and the league owners locked the players out due to the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement. More than half the season was lost due to the dispute with the league not facing off till January 20, 1995. The 2000s are still being written but the league has added new teams, Minnesota and Columbus joined the league in 2000. The 2003-04 season was cancelled due to another work stoppage however the league has still managed to draw crowds and the league superstars are becoming younger and flashier. Currently the NHL is involved in another work stoppage, they are approaching 100 days of the lockout but the two sides are meeting and are said to be close on a deal, so hopefully the season is not completely lost. |
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